Which metric is the square root of Mean Squared Error, expressed in the same units as the target variable?

Which metric is the square root of Mean Squared Error, expressed in the same units as the target variable?

• A. RMSE
• B. MAE
• C. MSE
• D. MAPE

Answer: (A)

RMSE is the square root of the mean squared error and is expressed in the same units as the target variable. This happens because MSE averages the squared residuals, so its units are the square of the target’s units. Taking the square root brings those units back to the original scale, giving RMSE. That’s why RMSE matches the target’s units exactly. MAE uses the average of absolute errors, so it’s in the original units but it’s not the square root of MSE. MSE is in squared units, not the original units. MAPE is a percentage error, not in the target’s units. So RMSE is the metric that aligns with the target’s units.

RMSE is the square root of the mean squared error and is expressed in the same units as the target variable. This happens because MSE averages the squared residuals, so its units are the square of the target’s units. Taking the square root brings those units back to the original scale, giving RMSE. That’s why RMSE matches the target’s units exactly.

MAE uses the average of absolute errors, so it’s in the original units but it’s not the square root of MSE. MSE is in squared units, not the original units. MAPE is a percentage error, not in the target’s units. So RMSE is the metric that aligns with the target’s units.